Muse & Musse Sabina Kocherhans What was the last cultural event you attended?
Sabina Kocherhans: Expo.02 for business reasons because of Manna and the Coop Restaurant Biotavola.
What are you reading right now?
Kocherhans: "Chocolat" by Joanne Harris, as inspiration for a new Coop campaign. More will not be revealed!
Which CD do you currently prefer to listen to?
Kocherhans: Laura Pausini.
Which movie would you most like to see again?
Kocherhans: "The Sixth Sense", because it always fascinates me.
What TV show did you fall asleep during the other night?
Kocherhans: At the last Migros commercial.
What is your latest discovery on the Internet?
Kocherhans: www.amazon.de is always good.
What could you never do without?
Kocherhans: On my Palm Organizer.
What do you do in a free minute?
Kocherhans: Enjoy the moment.
Love is ...?
Kocherhans: ... to understand each other without words.

Remy Fabrikant on his expectations on the Cannes juryBy Andreas Panzeri From June 16, the international advertising scene will once again meet in Cannes. Over the course of a week, the best works will be honored at the 49th International Advertising Festival (IAF). In addition to Gilbert Fisch on the "Direct Mail" jury, Remy Fabrikant, CD of the Zurich advertising agency JWT+Hostettler+Fabrikant, has been appointed to the "Press & Poster" jury for Switzerland.
This year you are on the prestigious Cannes "Press & Poster" jury. Does that fill you with a certain pride?
Remy Fabrikant: Being elected to the jury is of course a great honor for me. You are scrutinized quite extensively by the festival management. You have to prove what you have done for the advertising scene so far, and it is checked whether you have already won enough important prizes yourself.
What other juries have you been on so far?
Manufacturer: ADC, Eurobest, Clio, Golden Ear.
What do you expect from Cannes?
Fabrikant: I hope that Switzerland will be there with a few lions. We Swiss are under a bit of pressure when it comes to international awards. We may be a small country, but we spend a lot of money on advertising and communication. Nevertheless, we are usually underrepresented at important awards in relation to our financial outlay. Against this background, I see my presence on the Cannes jury as an important task.
Is there an explanation for this meager price yield of Swiss advertising?
Fabrikant: I don't have any. The often excellent Anglo-Saxon humor is a stylistic device that is not widely cultivated in Switzerland. However, this type of advertising is not the only one that can be successful in Cannes. The Germans in particular have shown in recent years that you can also win many prizes with other ideas.
Is it due to a lack of courage on the part of advertisers, who show too little interest in unusual ideas in Switzerland?
Fabrikant: It requires a certain generosity of thought, and this is lacking in Switzerland.
What criteria do you use to evaluate a piece of work?
Fabrikant: I have set myself certain criteria. But I hope that I won't be patronized by the system. 9047 works were submitted. That's 1000 fewer than last year. But if we want to judge all these works in one week, then I can work out that there are exactly 15 seconds left to judge a single work. With 15 seconds per subject, I can manage 2000 competition entries in a whole day if I judge for eight hours without interruption. So the works that make an immediate impact will win. It will hardly be possible to take into account any complicated, country-specific criteria. What catches the eye will be judged.
Which ads fulfill this most important criterion for you?
Fabrikant: These are things that are extremely reduced, clear in their message. You have to give people a certain relevance.
Do you see Cannes as the benchmark for new trends?
Fabrikant: Cannes is the benchmark for all advertising in the world. Cannes still sets the decisive trends for communication.
Many people say that there is an ever-increasing inflation of prices. Do you share this opinion?
Fabrikant: You can't speak of inflation within Cannes. On the contrary. If you measure the prizes against the entries, then ten to fifteen Lions for 9000 print subjects or 4000 films is of course a very high-quality award. The prizes in Cannes are extremely rare and therefore very valuable.
What importance do you attach to lobbying in Cannes?
Fabrikant: With the sophisticated system of judging, a juror will hardly be able to achieve much through lobbying. Nevertheless, lobbying is very important for a long-term image. As this is my first time on the jury in Cannes, I first have to see what I can achieve for Switzerland in this area.
Up to now, England and the USA, and more recently Scandinavia, have always scooped up the most prizes. Will this happen again?
Fabrikant: There will probably be a difference between print and film. When it comes to film, I'm convinced that the Americans will win many awards again. But "Print & Poster" is the great strength of the European continent.
What new developments do you expect?
Fabrikant: I think that this year will be weaker than in the past. Due to the economic circumstances, creation has not been allowed to live out as much freedom.
What will your personal program look like in Cannes?
Fabrikant: When I review the large number of entries in my mind's eye, there won't be much time for other activities besides judging. Apart from a few official social events, of course.
What are you looking forward to privately in Cannes?
Fabrikant: Above all, I'm looking forward to lots of sun and sea, a round of golf with Martin Denecke and dinner with Matthias Luchsinger. You can learn a lot in this short time in Cannes by dealing with advertising. One goodie will be that as a jury member I'll get to meet lots of new people from all over the world.

The (very) long week of events began on Monday with a housewarming party at the Headaway & Stone recruitment consultants in Zurich's Seefeld district. by Beat Fritsch The three owners are experienced vixens in the recruitment industry and have each specialized in one area. Hélène Müller works in the communications sector, Irini Antonopoulos in banking, and Patricia Turk advises people from the fiduciary sector.
Unfortunately, the two senior partners, Alfred Lord Headaway of Sussex and the "Honorable" Mister Miles Stone, had to be excused. Rumor has it that they were opening the traditional fox hunt on their estates in Wales on the same day before the Queen's 50th anniversary of her throne. Nevertheless, Zurich's advertising society ennobled the party. Among others, Bonaparte's Harry Sulzer, creative genius Frank Bodin, DDB art buyer Flavia Schlittler, advertising boss Urs Beer, publishing specialist Urs Zeier, as well as publicist Roger de Weck and his wife Claudia enjoyed the fine appetizers prepared by Bongusto Catering. Müller usually meets Martin Denecke at Green and Tee, who also paid tribute to the newcomer with his presence. And last but not least, we saw Kurt W. Zimmermann, Weltwoche publishing director Uli Rubner, advertiser Erich Baumgartner, media expert Beat Krebs and Peter Urs Naef. Also worth mentioning is the fact that this time it was not advertisers but bankers who went home last - it had long since struck midnight.
The next event was also held in Seefeld, just around the corner. Reto Alborghetti inaugurated his new offices in the middle of the week. The former WHA partner has retired from the daily advertising business and intends to work only as a communication consultant in future. Heinz Bischof is also working as a consultant, but in the media sector. The former co-owner of Innomedia (now Mediaplanning) is, according to his own declaration, "looking around a bit for possible mandates". Engrossed in conversation with Bischof were the host's wife, Andrea Alborghetti, Claudia Köhler from Freelance Connaction and Robi Sulser, freelance copywriter and concept developer from Hombrechtikon, who is a nice and modest advertiser, contrary to the cliché "stand out at any price". Also on a flying visit to the newly founded company: BSW Managing Director Walter Merz, who has made himself rather scarce as an advertising partygoer of late.
For a nightcap, advertisers are currently meeting up at Bliss, one of the trendiest lounges in Zurich - by the way, lounge is trendy German for bar with a hanging corner for dull spirits. On warm summer nights, you can enjoy fancy drinks there as well as the spacious terrace directly below the Kunsthaus. The good name ensures an in crowd, as Mathias Lietha, one of the guys from Blushin Pink - a party destination that is very popular with advertisers and has recently found hospitality in the V-Labor.
In keeping with the motto "We're Bernese too!", part of the Zurich scene met up with the Mutzen in the Swiss capital on Thursday. Publimedia hosted the Terrassenfest 02 there; a party of the very finest, especially when it came to the culinary delights. We haven't been served this much cheese for a long time! Seriously - with affineur Christoph Bruni from Thun, one of the best Swiss cheesemongers arrived. Catering chef Urs Hauri, formerly head chef at the "Schweizerhof" in Bern, made an excellent choice with him. However, he also brought competition into the house. The chef's warm delicacies were almost forgotten amidst the enthusiasm for the cheese display. And even the culinary savvy shortlist author has to admit that he was served some previously unknown specialties, such as a very fine blue cheese from Asturias.
In addition to Otto Meier, Daniel Strobel and Markus Ehrle from Publimedia, Bund Publishing Director
J. Pepe Wiss, the advertising managers Raoul Wanger from the Bund and Michi Seiler from the Berner Zeitung. But also Fred Dietiker from SMP and Hansueli Rawyler and Samir Saydjari from Opel Switzerland.
Urs Schneider from Mediaschneider and Stefan Hostettler from OMD Zürich-City accepted the exceptionally long journey to an event. And Sawi Director Jürg Engi appreciated the fact that for once he only had to travel half as far from Biel as for other events.
The following day, the Bernese team went at it again. At the end of the week, there was a mega-event in the old Von-Roll-Areal. Organized by the agency of the same name from the Polyconsult Group, which hosted the huge party with its partners Modernlight and Punktocrealine.
The Bernese proved to be absolutely multicultural and cosmopolitan: First on stage was a Zurich comedian, followed by Jörg Kressig from Basel as presenter. Apart from that, the majority of the audience spoke that charming linguistic error called "Bäärndüütsch"; tout Werbe-Berne seemed to have gathered. A nice and decent bunch of advertisers. We were amazed. People listened to the welcome and show blocks and applauded for a long time afterwards. Most of the guests were standing in front of the stage and not at the bar. And somehow the Bernese seemed less eccentric and wacky than the boys and girls from the Zurich scene. We still don't know why (perhaps less stressful customers? Less stress? Less alcohol? Less shushing!!) - and will therefore certainly be reporting from Bern again from time to time.
Beat Fritsch

once again had a tough week of partying behind it as the event director of WerbeWoche. Headaway & Stone, Alborghetti Communication, Bliss, Publimedia, Eventicum, Modernlight and Punktocrealine were the hosts. We can locate those who meet at parties on the banks of the Limmat, Aare or Rhine and at organized stand-ups elsewhere at a wide variety of industry events. Do you already have something exciting to report? Pick up the phone (01 296 97 98) or hit the keyboard ([email protected]). Further event tips and even more shortlist images: www.werbewoche.ch

After successful cooperation with Good-News, the free newspaper has an appetite for moreThe cooperation between the free newspaper 20 Minuten and the monthly magazine Good-News (GN) is obviously a win-win situation for both. GN, which has been enclosed with 20 Minuten once a month in a slimmed-down version (24 instead of 48 pages) since March, has increased its circulation of 40,000 copies eightfold, massively expanded its distribution and achieved a higher level of awareness. As a result, GN gains an average of around 200 subscriptions (30 francs each) per month for the 48-page GN full version that continues to be published, says GN project manager Sharon Lehmann. In addition, the magazine, which has mutated from a music magazine to a lifestyle magazine, has been able to more than maintain its advertising revenue thanks to an advertising combination with 20 Minuten. 20 Minuten publishing director Rolf Bollmann also emphasizes that 20 Minuten has gained in image thanks to GN and has found access to GN advertising customers (beverage industry, banks, insurance companies). "That's why we're looking around for other partners," says Bollmann. He would prefer one or two additional print products every week, for example in the areas of cinema, IT/telecommunications, cars, travel, sport or cooking. He already has his eye on two titles: The cinema magazine Close-up (160,000 copies) and PC-Tip (75,000).
However, they remain clueless. Jean-Claude Bruhin, Head of Marketing at the close-up publisher RMB, says that a cooperation with 20 Minuten is not planned. Jacqueline Ort, Head of Marketing at PC-Tip publisher IDG, admits that she has already thought about a cooperation between PC-Tip and 20 Minuten. However, she is not convinced, she has not done the math and the idea has never been discussed in the publishing house. Markus Knöpfli

The design and branding agency Media Consulting Group in Bühler, Appenzell, has acquired a new client from Germany:Etat-News Media Consulting also advertises Atoff
The agency is developing a new image for the internationally active fabric manufacturer Brennet AG, based in Bad Säckingen. The first project is the redesign of Brennet's website.
TBS Identity for Alea Europe Zurich-based communications agency TBS Identity is designing the new corporate identity for reinsurer Alea Europe. Following a change of ownership and as part of a realignment, the Basel-based group is facing the task of clearly positioning itself in the European market. TBS Identity secured the mandate, which covers all areas of marketing communication, in a pitch.

Martijn Simoons joins the team of McCann-Erickson, Geneva as ADHead of the week
"England and Sweden have a similar advertising culture to Holland"
For the sake of his French wife, Martijn Simoons left his beloved Amsterdam to settle in Geneva. However, his wife, who was born in the French Alps, also had to make a compromise and move near Geneva - for Martijn Simoons, a job in France was never an option. The French culture was still too foreign for him. Despite his French partner, he was also not yet familiar with the language. So although he lives in neighboring France, he followed the exciting presidential elections more like an outsider. And he still has to make friends with Francophone humor. The same applies to Germany, by the way.
Switzerland is the first country that the 29-year-old has left Holland for in order to change careers. He sees Geneva as an international city, and Switzerland is closer to him as a country than France. The Swiss are like the Dutch: cosmopolitan and particularly interested in what happens outside their borders. He thinks that Switzerland would do well to think carefully about joining the European Union. He secretly admires the Swiss for their courage to go it alone. Simoons could also well imagine working in England or Sweden one day, because the advertising culture of these two countries is very similar to that of Holland, he says.
Agency life in Holland is much more hectic than here in Switzerland, says Martijn Simoons after three months working at McCann-Erickson, Geneva. In the agencies in the Netherlands, he was particularly annoyed by lone fighters who defended their own ideas by any means necessary in order to achieve success, regardless of their colleagues. At McCann, Geneva, he likes the team spirit and the mutual respect with which they want to achieve a good result together. On the other hand, everyone is free to express their opinion, even if it is critical, without being intimidated.
The Dutchman has a rather distanced relationship with advertising, and Martijn Simoons is therefore more influenced by personal contact with other people. Above all, Martijn Simoons wants to contribute his experience with major clients to the team. Another challenge for him at the Geneva agency is the international nature of the team. For him, advertising is a solid craft. But if you want to stand out from the average, you have to be prepared to want to understand what is happening in the world, even if many things are difficult to understand and contradict your own thinking, he believes. Anita Vaucher

Private TV and radio stations in the Golden Triangle are in Tamedia's handsBy Markus Knöpfli With its investment in LH-Holding, Tamedia has significant influence over radio and TV in the Golden Triangle. This is because, in addition to Radio Basilisk, it also markets Tele Basel via the Basel-based Medag, and via its 49 percent stake in the Berner Zeitung it also has a say in Conradio, Radio ExtraBern and TeleBärn.
Via the acquired LH-Holding and its subsidiary Medag, Tamedia markets not only Radio Basilisk, but also Tele Basel. Medag is the exclusive booking office for advertising on Tele Basel. However, Tamedia is currently acting as if this aspect of the Basilisk deal is unimportant or has almost escaped its attention. At the press conference a week and a half ago, not a word was said about it. And when asked about it, Tamedia spokesman Peter Hartmeier played the matter down: Tele Basel? - Oh yes, it had been mentioned once in the group management, but only in a subordinate clause. Incidentally, not even Tele Basel considered this aspect worth mentioning in its reporting.
Financially, this aspect of the Basilisk deal is hardly worth mentioning (yet), but strategically it is. Medag in Basel, Belcom in Zurich and Conradio in Berne have two things in common: they each market one of the local radio stations as well as local private TV, and are either wholly owned by Tamedia or - in the case of Conradio - 49 percent owned by Tamedia. What applies to marketing also applies to a lesser extent to the media themselves: Tele Züri, Radio 24 and Radio Basilisk are wholly owned by Tamedia, and the Zurich-based company has a stake in ExtraBern and Tele Bärn via its 49 percent share in Berner Zeitung. Only Tele Basel is largely independent because its owner is a foundation. However, Tamedia is represented on the seven-member foundation committee by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of LH, Hans-Ruedi Ledermann. In short, the media group will in future have a major say in the electronic media in the Golden Triangle or even determine their fate.
That is the current situation. But why should it stay that way? Hartmeier says openly that Tamedia is interested in expanding at least the radio division with acquisitions. Rumor has it that talks are already underway with the Berner Zeitung with the aim of leaving Radio ExtraBern or Conradio entirely to Tamedia. "If that were the case, I wouldn't tell you," says Hartmeier when asked. And when told that this is not a denial, he replies: "Tamedia and Espace Media Groupe (EM) traditionally have a good relationship."
No comment was available from Bern. However, from EM-Groupe's point of view, a sale of at least Conradio would make sense. If the entire marketing of electronic media in the Golden Triangle were to be in one hand in future, synergies could be better utilized and joint offers could be developed more easily (pool, combination with 20 Minuten...). Hartmeier emphasizes that Tamedia wants to bring more professionalism, predictability and reliability to the radio industry in the future. In fact, centralization would give a strong boost to the ailing private radio and TV industry and a kick in the butt to the quarrelling marketers Radiotele and IP Multimedia. This would guarantee that financially ailing radio stations such as ExtraBern (WW 21/02) would get back on their feet or that TV deficits such as that of Tele Bärn (CHF 15 million) would be reduced.
Rosier times for Tele Basel

A new marketing agreement (without sponsorship) has been in place between Tele Basel and Medag since January 2002 - just in time for the change of ownership at Medag. The managing director of Tele Basel, Willy Surbeck, describes the difference as follows: "Medag previously had enormous exclusivity, but was not forced to provide any services in return." Although Medag remained the exclusive booking agency for Tele Basel, it was not the only acquirer. Previously, third-party acquirers were practically excluded, but today they receive almost as much as Medag. And the larger the volume of a third-party acquirer, the smaller Medag's handling share becomes - also in absolute figures. In addition, the new three-year contract can be terminated at any time if Medag fails to meet the agreed sales expectations.
This is already bearing fruit: Medag now has twice as many people working for Tele Basel as it did last year - and, according to Surbeck, its turnover is twice as high as in the first five months of the previous year. Added to this is the turnover of other acquisition companies.
This awakens the old suspicion that Medag had previously directed advertising streams primarily to Radio Basilisk and undernourished Tele Basel. "We already had such suspicions, but with the new contract we have dispelled them.
has now been eradicated," confirms Heinrich Löffler, Committee Chairman of the Tele-Basel cable network foundation.

Publicis wants to popularize the Cash payment system with a guerrilla campaignBy Luca AloisiThe Cash electronic payment system is already five years old. Despite the high density of EC cards, the system suffers from a lack of acceptance and awareness. This is now set to change with Expo.02 and a capillary Publicis campaign.
Originally, Cash - a product of the Swiss banks and Swiss Post marketed by Europay - was to be used as an exclusive Expo payment method. However, the planned monopoly position, which could have been the ultimate market penetration for cashless payment without a PIN code, was then dropped.
According to David Jäger, project manager at Europay, the organizers had to adapt their communications support to the change of course. The initial situation was such that the smallest of the 12 official Expo.02 partners had to use its relatively modest budget all the more efficiently in order to stand out in the Expo media hype and to achieve its quantitative and qualitative goals.
Jäger does not conceal the fact that sustainable establishment in the market for cashless payment methods depends on many factors and that the positioning with the Expo as a communication platform for cash is almost existential. "This is a very decisive six months in the life cycle of the means of payment," explains Jäger. After a "not very satisfactory" first few years, Cash is still in the development phase, which is why the company is now hoping for a lasting effect. An eye-catching guerrilla campaign alone is not enough. In addition to the basic campaign, information, partner activities and PR, a dominant personal presence on the ground is therefore essential to explain the means of payment.
An "advertising-free" Expo.02 requires special campaigns
The pitch for the communication measures for the "Cash - the means of payment at Expo.02" strategy was won by the previous budget holder Publicis. However, CD Markus Gut is not talking about a campaign. "For us, this is an action, a movement", which he wants to see perceived accordingly. "We are calling on the Swiss to dispose of their coins," is how he sums up the humorous advertising idea.
This dramatization was a natural choice because small change is superfluous on the Expo site. As simple as the message is, it is conveyed directly. The main emphasis of the budget is on guerrilla campaigns. These are reinforced with the remaining budget via the classic advertising media of posters and advertisements. Because the advertising spaces are unusual, the stringently implemented appeal achieves a high level of distribution and visibility despite the relatively low budget.
Adhesives and wild posters are affixed to waste garbage cans, containers, tree wells, fountains and manhole covers. In order to increase the stop and reminder effect, Europay does not even shy away from placements that "re-explore" the limits of legality: with "coin disposal" tree troughs in central locations or with cash-decorated bridge railings at the "advertising-free" Expo.02 - to name just two examples. The client openly admits that the company has protected itself against possible lawsuits and provided an advertising war chest.
Push-and-pull method to boost the market
The cash presence should be loud. This is because the discrepancy between the high density of cardholders and the low acceptance rate is due to the still thin network of Cash outlets in Switzerland. There are more than 3.8 million cards with the cash chip in circulation in Switzerland. However, only ten percent of cardholders use them, and only rarely. Nevertheless, people are confident: "The EC card also took a long time to catch on," says Jäger. It remains to be seen whether the comparison is justified, as product perception has also accelerated in recent years along with technologization. The relatively low perception and high market potential of the payment method therefore remain obvious.
It is not only marketing-specific problems that have probably delayed the breakthrough so far: The high upgrade costs, the fees and the commission for the contractual partners are offset by the modest purchase amounts that are processed with cash devices. The question of whether the investment is worthwhile in terms of potential volume ultimately depends on consumer behavior.
The aim of addressing the estimated three million electronic payers at Expo.02 is not only to increase their understanding. The overriding aim is to reduce skepticism on the part of consumers and merchants and to win new customers for additional acceptance points. To this end, Europay is pursuing a targeted regional development strategy with a push-and-pull character. Jäger sees an expanded network as a symbolic goal, thanks to which the additional function on postcards and EC/Maestro cards would be used two to four times a day.
Europay targets 40 percent cashless transactions
For the time being, the broad-based campaign has achieved the desired audience size: Blue stickers in all possible and impossible places draw attention to the disposal of small change and the reasons for it. It remains to be seen whether the unusual Expo.02 cash campaign will be followed by a surge in demand from end consumers. The target is 40 percent cashless transactions. However, Europay does not wish to disclose how large the proportion of cash transactions will be.
Nevertheless, even a moderate surge in development would mean a positive breakthrough for the previously flat trend curve. According to consultant Christian Siegrist, it is already clear that the Expo campaign will be followed by an image campaign that takes up the same new visual world. Instead of the previous color red and the dramatization of the chip, blue with bright elliptical lines will now be used to imitate the value of material means of payment. This positioning is reinforced by the equally new claim "Pay the easy way".

Four works received awards 17/02: Award-winning "All cocaine or what?"
Unfortunately, a misunderstanding has arisen in the reporting on the judging of the ADC/BSW Creative School competition entries. We would like to point out that it was not just three submissions that received awards, but four. Philipp Aebischer (AD) and Michel Reichmuth (text), both from the agency TBWA Switzerland AG, Küsnacht, are also traveling to Cannes for the "Young Creatives Programme". We apologize to both gentlemen for the transmission error.
Nadja Jäggli,ADC/BSW creative school,
Zurich

What both parties denied until Sunday and then signed on Monday was made public the next day: Zurich-based Tamedia is acquiring Basel's city radio station Basilisk and LH-Holding. This is the first painful home defeat for the Basler Mediengruppe (BM), which only recently went into the regional league with the sale of Jean Frey AG. The era of the newly appointed Tamedia CEO Martin Kall begins with a bang: the crown jewel of LH-Holding, which has also been taken over 100 percent, is called Medag AG and markets Tele Basel as well as Basilisk. However, Tamedia spokesman Peter Hartmeier was just as reluctant to comment on this strategic added value and any synergy effects with Belcom as he was on the purchase price of just under CHF 24 million, which BM CEO Beat Meyer described as "horrendous and therefore unacceptable to us". This figure sounds familiar in connection with private radio stations, which is why Roger Schawinski promptly quips on request that "Basilisk Managing Director Christian Heeb copied it from me". Schawinski is probably alluding to the time when they founded Radio 24 together - and not to the CHF 92 million that Tamedia paid for its Belcom AG last fall (oc).

Despite a jump in sales and consolidated profit, the Espace Media Groupe once again has more problem childrenBy Markus Knöpfli A drop in earnings despite a jump in circulation at the Berner Zeitung, Radio Extra in the black: even if the Espace Media Groupe's 2001 balance sheet is in the best light, the Group has a few problems. It is now focusing more on local business.
At Espace Media Groupe (EM Groupe), the attacking, sometimes blustering tones of last year have faded. At any rate, moderate and thoughtful words were spoken at the annual press conference, which were even reflected in the Group's annual report.
Charles von Graffenried, Chairman of the Board of Directors, raises several fundamental questions, including the following: "Will Espace Media Groupe, wedged between the ever stronger and more comprehensive media metropolis of Greater Zurich and French-speaking Switzerland, still be able to assert itself in the medium and long term and continue to develop with the current momentum on a self-financed basis?"
The questions are rhetorical in nature, but a few paragraphs later the beginnings of an answer can be found: "We still believe that our future as a multimedia media company lies profitably and heavily in the Espace Mittelland region."
The doubt that resonates here may seem surprising at first glance in view of the 2001 annual report. After all, EM Groupe was able to increase sales by 25 percent to 259.9 million Swiss francs. Group CEO Albert P. Stäheli attributes this "huge boost" to the takeover of the Automobil-Revue Group and the inclusion of Druckerei Schaer Thun AG and Berner Oberland Medien AG. The acquisitions are associated with one-off integration costs, which - in addition to the unfavorable economic climate - are reflected in the result. Conversely, EM Groupe sold 60 percent of the shares in the art book publisher Benteli to NZZ.
The Group reported a consolidated profit of CHF 18.2 million, which is CHF 5.9 million below the previous year's figure, but still represents "a top result compared to the rest of the industry", as CEO Stäheli noted.
EM Groupe anticipates deficit at Radio ExtraBern for the first time
The fact that the figures are not just "pleasing" and therefore give pause for thought can be seen in individual business areas. For example, the revenue of the flagship Berner Zeitung (BZ) fell by CHF 5.5 million to CHF 128.4 million. This is all the more alarming given that the BZ is the only major newspaper to have increased its circulation significantly by 18.7% (to 16,2200 copies) thanks to new splits in the Bernese Oberland, although this has (still) brought it hardly any benefit.
On the contrary: in terms of advertising pages, the BZ is one of the four main losers among the twelve major daily newspapers with a loss of 12.3% (Tages-Anzeiger: minus 17.9%, Bund: minus 12.8%, NZZ: minus 12.5%). In addition, the seventh BZ split, Solothurner Tagblatt (ST), launched in October, is hardly making any headway (see interview). Incidentally, Tamedia, which holds a 49% stake in BZ, received around CHF 5.5 million (previous year: around CHF 10 million).
Tele Bärn's accounts are still in the red, with a loss of CHF 1.7 million. At CHF 2.9 million, net income was around CHF 200,000 lower than in the previous year. This year, however, Stäheli expects a slight reduction in the deficit to CHF 1.5 million because local businesses are also increasingly using the medium of TV for their advertising. The cumulative expenditure for Tele Bärn since its launch in 1995 amounts to CHF 15 million.
Stäheli described Radio ExtraBern as a "problem child", with net income of CHF 3.2 million (previous year: CHF 3.6 million) and only just breaking even. For the current year, the CEO is even expecting a deficit of CHF 100,000 to 200,000 for the first time after ten years in the black. In order not to lose even more ground in national advertising campaigns due to falling listener numbers, Stäheli would like Radio 24 to join the existing city pool (ExtraBern, Basilisk, Pilatus). The CEO also expressed the opinion that there was "only room for 1.5 radios" in the Bern region.
In the printing sector, EM Groupe will have to invest CHF 120 million in a new printing center, spread over the years 2002 to 2005. Whether "Der Bund" will also be involved is still the subject of negotiations.
Conscious acceptance of possible cannibalization
EM Groupe has already chosen an initial strategy in response to the questions raised by its Chairman: Because, according to Stäheli, the local advertising business is "doing amazingly well" in contrast to the national one, the local market, which is more stable than the national one, will be cultivated even more in future. "Until now, we were relatively indifferent to advertising revenue in the BZ splits. But now we still see potential there," says Stäheli. The first measure: the ST will become even more local, and other splits will follow suit. Stäheli consciously accepts that local EM media (including Berner Bär and Burgdorfer Tagblatt) could be cannibalized.
Espace Media Groupe in figures

in CHF million 2000 2001 Change in %
Group sales 208.3 259.9 24.8
Consolidated profit 24.1 18.2 - 24.5
Cash flow 20.5 14.6 - 28.8
Net revenue Berner Zeitung 133.9 128.4 - 4.1
Corrigendum

In the article "Pool of millions of conflicts" in the 20/02 issue of WerbeWoche, Markus Knöpfli wrote of an alleged "boycott" by the agent Radiotele of the station Hitradio Z. This could give the impression that the Radiotele sales manager Felix Kilchsperger mentioned in the article had spoken of or admitted to a "boycott". This could give the impression that the Radiotele sales manager Felix Kilchsperger mentioned in the article had spoken of a "boycott" or had admitted to such a boycott. This impression would be wrong. The word "boycott" was never used in the conversation with Kilchsperger, but was chosen by the author himself - and clearly incorrect in this context. This is because Radiotele continues to pass on customer orders to Hitradio Zweiter.

The leather in the new clothing collections is tempting…sometimes even very tempting. Be careful, ladies.
Depending on how much clothing we’re wearing, it can make us look silly—or even sillier. While a men’s leather shoe triggers associations with a pillow in the female brain, the aphrodisiac effect of a full leather suit (by Versace) is many times stronger. This is enough to make women come to a standstill in droves, often after first shedding their clothes (even if only sparingly). Because female skin wants to feel leather—always. More precisely, bare skin. A little tip for the sake of your sex appeal: show up wearing a leather suit right away. Chandra Kurt [email protected]
Column

Recalls By Carmelo Buffoli
Advertising doesn't always deliver what it promises. The latest innovation in anti-wrinkle creams can't make all crow's feet, laugh lines, or frown lines disappear overnight as if by magic. But, well, it's worth a try. Even if the magic elixir only smooths out the wrinkles a little, that’s still something. When I look in the mirror in the morning, my face actually does look a bit smoother—or am I just dreaming? And what about the latest development in the finest of all stainless steel knife sets? They’re supposed to cut for a lifetime—without ever needing to be resharpened. It’s a stroke of luck that many products come with a money-back guarantee so you can get your money back. After all, that’s nothing more than good customer service. What else can you do if the product falls apart the very first time you use it!—Car manufacturers also launch so-called recalls to replace, for example, airbags that deploy on their own.
Why aren't there any recalls for bad advertising? Isn’t it just as frustrating when I read a brochure where I find at least three spelling mistakes in every sentence and have to wonder what the brochure is actually trying to sell? Or when I watch a TV commercial and am left wondering afterward what product was being advertised? Recalls in advertising could go a long way toward solving this problem. If a brochure is flawed, it’s withdrawn, and in no time at all, you have a clearly legible, error-free brochure in your mailbox. I’ll say it again: This is nothing more than being customer-friendly! Why should advertising that’s no good be treated any differently than defective products? [email protected] Carmelo Buffoli is the owner of Buffoli und Partner GmbH, ASW.
Business lunch

In Peach Red, the World Is (Not) Quite Right Yet. I was truly taken aback by the renovated restaurant at the Hotel Tiefenau. The peach-red fabric wallpaper dominates the room, but its intensity fades over time, receding in the face of the gold-toned color panels. A beautiful sensory experience.
The tables are set beautifully and simply. The chairs, reminiscent of the Biedermeier period and upholstered in a subtle shade of brown, create the impression of a bold atmosphere—which raises expectations for the cuisine that are not met. The menu (English/German) is in an indescribable diamond-shaped format. A business lunch is not offered, but the daily specials are appealing and substantial enough to put together a meal costing around 50 francs.
First course: The Spanish cucumber soup turned out to be a subtly spiced cold appetizer that certainly deserves greater acclaim. The mixed salad, however, consisted of green leaves, carrots from a Waro bag, and corn kernels from a Denner can. Get rid of that. It has no place in a modern kitchen. The lentil bread crackers served with the entree—topped with curry paste, tuna, and sambal oelek—were, however, exciting. Second course: Arctic char with carrots and rice. Bland, lackluster, uninspired—and presented so inelegantly that it’s hard to understand why so much effort was put into the presentation, which isn’t carried through onto the plate. What a shame. The wrap with Bündnerfleisch, Gorgonzola, and lettuce was good and filling—but the same salads shouldn’t have been used again as garnish on the large glass plate. Same story: get rid of them.
The wine list looks promising: lovely, unboxed wines at reasonable prices. That said, the person who wrote the wine list could use some tutoring. The following adjectives were used to describe the wines: full of character, robust, lively, cheerful, friendly, rustic, unique. Hmm. The garden is certainly unique: you shouldn’t miss it in the summer, and you should definitely try one of those Zurich dishes that are still on the menu of the former Züri-Stube. Whatever was served here for lunch can’t have been the be-all and end-all. Hopefully not, because the atmosphere is a real asset to Zurich. Carlo Bernasconi [email protected]
Orson’s Restaurant, Lounge & Bar, Steinwiesstrasse 8
8032 Zurich
Tel. 01 267 87 02
[email protected]
www.orsons.ch
Evaluation

Food ………………….. 2
Drinks ..................4
Operation ................3
Business Factor ..........3
5=top, 4=very good, 3=o.k., 2=naja, 1=flop